Pivoted hand tool for removing dents in sheet metal



L. M. BACK June 17, 1952 PIVOTED HAND TOOL FOR REMOVING DENTS IN SHEET METAL Filed June 3, 1947 S m H A ww M) Patented June 17, 1952 PIVOTED HAND TOOL FOR REMOVING DENTS IN SHEET METAL Laurel M. Back, Oakland, Calif.

Application June 3, 1947, Serial No. 752,056

2 Claims.

The invention relates tov a hand tool for removing dents from sheets of dentable metal and other materials.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved tool of the character described which is particularly adapted for removing dents from the fenders of automobiles and other more or less curved sheet members.

Another object is to provide a dent removing tool which is arranged for a mutual interengagement of cooperative anvil and hammer members carried at the free ends of hingedly connected arms to retain the arms in fixed relation.

A further object is to provide a dent-removing tool which requires no operating clearance beyond its working end and is otherwise operative in a minimum space for its functioning.

The invention'possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth, or be apparent, from the following description of a typical embodiment thereof and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a dent-removing tool embodying the present features of invention as operatively applied to a dented plate member,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front view of the tool showing anvil and hammer elements thereof cooperatively engaging the dented member at the end of a hammer stroke.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the anvil and hammer portions of the tool mutually interengaged for maintaining the tool in a preferred non-use condition.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary and partly sectional side view at the cooperating anvil and;

hammer parts of the tool.

Figure 5 is a sectional view at the line 5-5 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at the hinge portion of the tool across the hinge axis and in the plane of the tool.

Figure '7 is a section at the line 'I'I in Figure 6.

As particularly illustrated, the features of my invention are incorporated in the structure of a dent-removing tool 9 having cooperative anvil and hammer members II and I2 respectively provided at the free ends of arms l3 and I4 which are hingedly connected at their other ends at a hinge assembly l5. Preferably, and as shown, the arms curved away from each other in a common plane in which they are relatively swingable about an axis perpendicular to said plane. The hinge assembly I5 permits a mutual separation of the anvil I l and hammer I2 to receive a dented meml3 and I 4 are continuously her or work-piece I6 between them for their mutual swinging application to a dent, or offset, portion I6 of the member I6 for flattening out the portion I6 to conform with the adjacent undented plate part.

The present arms I3 and I 4 are tubular, and the anvil and hammer members I I and I2 respectively are shown as provided with threaded stems II and I2 for fixed threaded engagement in the arm ends whereby these members are replaceable if and when required. The anvil II essentially comprises a plate member I! at the end of the stem II, the latter being shouldered at the base of its threaded portion for the abutment of its shoulder with the end face of the arm I3 when the anvil is mounted on the arm. The hammer I2 provides a point portion l8 having a tip I8 of suitable form for engagement with the dent portion I6 of the workpiece I6 while the latter is engagedagainst the opposed anvil face; this element may be of one-piece construction having a nut-shaped flange I2" at the juncture of its threaded and point portions for use in mounting and dismounting it with respect to the end of the arm l4, said flange abutting the extremity of the arm I4 when the hammer is fixed on the arm.

It will now be noted that the work-engaging face [1 of the present anvil plate I! is coplanar with the axis of hinging of the arms l3 and I4, and that said plate is rectangular and extends slightly forwardly of the anvil stem II' to an edge H" which is parallel to the axis of hinging of the arms. A cylindrically curved notch I 9 extends into the plate I1 transversely therethrough from its forward edge IT" with the axis of curvature of the notch lying substantially in the line of said edge, and the hammer tip i8 is arranged to swing in an are which passes through said axis substantially at the working face H of the anvil plate ll; in this manner, the hammer tip I8 is arranged to move against the projecting side of the dent portion I 6' in a line perpendicular, or normal, to the portion of the Workpiece which is backed by the plate I! for preventing an angular action of the hammer tip with respect to the workpiece.

It will be understood that the notch I9 not only facilitates a return. displacement of the material at a dented portion backed by the anvil for engagement by the hammer, but also serves as a sight opening for appropriately locating the anvil I I with respect to a dent to be removed by its flattening out. Furthermore, the present notch I9- is large enough to receive the extremity of the arm M at the hammer whereby the arm may be manually sprung outwardly to engage its extremity in the notch and dispose the flange l2" of the hammer at the back of the anvil plate I! to secure the arms together thereat for facilitating a storage or shipping of the tool; this nonuse engagement of the arms is shown in Figure 3.

It will now be particularly noted that all forward parts of the present tool lie within an are including the line of the front edge [1 of the anvil plate I! and having its center at the axis of hinging of the arms l3 and I4. With this arrangement, any dent which may be engaged between the anvil and hammer point of the closed tool may be flattened out by repetitively swinging the hammer point against it, provided only that there are no obstructions to the working swinging of the arm M.

The present continuously curved and oppositely arched form of the arms l3 and M are such that "they provide no projections laterally outwardly thereof and have their curvatures so varied therealong as to best provide for the working positioning of the tool and its actuation in its working position. To provide the desired clearance be- ;=yond the working end of the tool at the anvil, the forward ends of the different arms define xacute'angles with radii to the axis of swinging or 'the arms from the anvil face l1, and from the hammer tip I8; in the present structure, said acute angles are of the order of fifty degrees and eighty degrees respectively. Since working strokes of the hammer against a dent may be relatively short, the present tool may have its hammer operatively applied in particularly confined spaces such as those beneath the fender of "an automobile.

It will now be noted that the hinge assembly 15 is preferabl such that the working tip I8 of the hammer I3 is held to a fixed path in its "movements toward or from a workpiece engaged by the anvil face l1, whereby to insure a spot or bulls-eye application of the tip 18' against the outside .of the cup of a dent; accordingly, the bearing of the hinge assembly 15 is preferably relatively long, and a hinge structure with such a bearing is provided in the present tool. As

particularly shown, the rearward end of the arm t3- isfprovide'd with a pair of inturned ears 2| in mutually parallel spaced relation and arranged to'reeeive between them spaced ears 22 extending' outwardly from the arm I4, said ears rotatably and closely receiving a tubular hinge-pin $23 in mutually aligned bearing holes provided through them. The pin 23 mounts a spacing sleevethereon between the ears 22 of the arm l4,

:andscrews 25 threadedly engaged in the bore of the tubular hinge-pin 23 have their heads 25' extending opposite the outer sides of the ears 2| and" engage the pin ends to secure the hinge pin to the ears 2| in its operative relation to the hinge assembly.

In the present hinge assembly, the lubrication of the bearing provided between the exterior of the pin 23 and the holes in the ears 22 is arranged to be afi'ected from within the pin. Accordingly, and as shown, the central portion of the bore of the pin 23 between the opposed inner ends of the screws 25 is arranged to contain a lubricant grease or heavy oil, and the pin is provided with radial holes 23 thereat for permitting an escape of the grease within the bore of the sleeve 24 along which it may travel to the bear- ,ings of the ears 22 for maintaining a lubricated condition for the hinge assembly.

The present hinge assembly is also provided with a suitable stop means for limiting the angular separation of the arms l3 and I. As particularly shown, shoulders 26 provided on the ears 22 of the arm [4 are engageable with the inner ends of the arm I3 when the arms are separated to the maximum degrees illustrated in Figures 1 and 6, it being noted that the inner end of the tube of the arm I3 is flattened and that the ears 2| are integrally fixed to its sides thereat, as by welding.

Having a structure as so far described, it will be understood that an operator may hold the arms -l3 and M in his different hands and move them toward and from each other for effecting hammering and return movements of the hammer head with respect to a work-piece which is backed by the anvil II. In accordance with-the present invention, however, means are provided whereby the present tool may be positioned and operated by the use of solely one hand. As particularl shown, a handgrip 2'! extends beyond the ears 22 of the arm It as a general continuation or extension of the arm, said grip member lying within and opposite the inner end portion of the arm [3 in such relation thereto that an operator ma simultaneously grasp said arm portion and the grip in a hand and draw the members together for providing a working stroke of the hammer. The outer line of the grip 21 is preferably complementary to the inner line of the opposed portion of the arm 13, and is so related to the latter that it approaches coincidence with it as a working stroke is completed. The grip 21 may be rubber-covered as indicated.

It will now be noted that when the present tool is disposed in an upright plane with the arm I3 uppermost, as in Fig. 1, the arm I4 will be gravitationally urged to its lower, or withdrawn, position, and that working strokes of the hammer may be simply effected by alternately closlIlg and opening a hand engaged about the grip 2'! and the complementary grip provided by the rearward'portion of the arm I3. The present tool will not, however, always be used in the position particularly shown, and for that reason a spring means is preferably provided for yieldingly urging the permitted limited separation of the arms. As particularly shown, a U-spring 28 is engaged about the sleeve 24 and has its ends so engaging the arms I3 and I4 as to yieldingly urge the angular separation of the arms to a degree which permits a hand-grip working stroke while insuring the normal separation of the arms when the grip of the hand is released. The present spring 28 is of wire and comprises generally parallel side bends 28 connected by a bend 28" at the ends thereof which engage the arm l3.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present dent-removing tool features will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the principle of operation, together with an arrangement which I now consider to be a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showings are primarily ilustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for removing a dent from a sheet of malleable material, comprising a pair of resilient arms vhingeclly connected at their rear ends and arranged to receive a dented sheet portion between them, a spring means resiliently urging a mutual separation of the arms, an anvil plate rigidly fixed upon the forward end of one arm and providing a working face disposed opposite the sheet at its indented side adjacent its dented area and provided with a notch extending inwardly from its forward end, a hammer mounted upon the forward end of the other arm as a longitudinal extension thereof and having a radial flange at the base of its head projecting inward- 1y beyond the extension of the other arm and arranged for swinging with the arm to operate its working head against the outset sheet portion at the dent while said plate is disposed opposite the dent, the hammer-carrying arm being engageable in the notch of the anvil with the flange of the hammer engaged with the opposite side of the anvil plate from its working face for a retention of the hammer and plate in engaged relation under the action of the spring means.

2. A tool for removing a dent from a sheet of malleable material, comprising a pair of arms hingedly oonected at their rear ends and arranged to receive a dented sheet portion between them, an anvil block rigidly fixed upon the forward end of one arm and providing a working face disposed opposite the sheet at its indented side adjacent its dented area, and provided with an open segmental notch extending inwardly from its extreme forward end, and a hammer mounted upon the forward end of the other arm and arranged for swinging with the arm to operate its working head against the outset sheet portion at the dent while said block is disposed opposite the dent, the line of action of the hammer head passing through said notch of the anvil midway of its sides and all portions of the arms and hammer lying radially inwardly of an are having its center in the hinging axis of the arms and passing through said extreme forward end of the anvil block.

LAUREL M. BACK.

REFERENfiES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,380,508 Wilson June '7, 1921 1,715,496 Faure June 4, 1929 1,897,142 Peterson Feb. 14, 1933 2,004,459 Boehnke June 11, 1935 2,058,072 Fiddymont Oct. 20, 1936 2,320,074 Golnick May 25, 1943 2,435,726 Rohde Feb. 10, 1948 

